The snow and ice storm that led
Portland officials to urge residents to "just stay home" in early
February cost the city an additional $740,000, according to transportation officials.

Portland Bureau of Transportation crews worked around the clock during the snowstorm
in February, putting in 12-hour shifts. The bulk of the PBOT expenditures
revealed on Wednesday, $560,000, come from overtime for those crews.

PBOT has a $500,000 "winter storm contingency budget" which will
cover the majority of the expenses.

Bureau managers "will strive to identify savings and efficiencies"
within the operating budget to cover the remainder of the costs, according to a
press release. Staffers have until the end of the current fiscal year, June 30,
to identify those savings.

"This winter's storm brought out the worst in terms of travel and safety
impacts, and the best in terms of city crews' response," said Alissa
Mahar, PBOT's executive director of finance and business operations. In the
press release, Mahar said, "Now our job is to work hard to create savings
where possible."

The bureau must find some $240,000 in savings as city officials start a discussion about how to make much-needed transportation improvements city-wide.